Monitoring device helps keep trawlers in line

KUALA LUMPUR: The automatic monitoring system (AIS) installed on trawlers operating in the B zone of between five and 12 nautical miles offshore enables the boats that have strayed into the waters of other countries to return to Malaysian territory quickly, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Nogeh Gumbek said the AIS device would keep sending signals on the position and location of the trawler to the control room (in Putrajaya).
"If the control room finds that the vessel has strayed into foreign territory, it will telephone the vessel and instruct it to return to Malaysian waters immediately," he said during Question Time.
Nogeh was replying to a question from Budiman Mohd Zohdi (BN-Sungai Besar) who had wanted to know the number of Zone B trawlers fitted with the AIS device and how many fishermen had ignored the advice to install the system.
He said that up to October this year, 1,116 of the 2,630 vessels licensed to fish in Zone B had installed the AIS device.
"The installation of the AIS device on all the relevant trawlers is expected to be completed in May 2018. It will be made mandatory to install the device after that date. So far, no action has been taken against vessels that have yet to install the device," he said.
Nogeh said the AIS device facilitated the monitoring of fishing activities and for aid to be channelled to the fishermen during an emergency. — Bernama